Abstract

FAJARDO, ESPERANZA et al. NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND FOOD PREFERENCES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN BOGOTA. rev.fac.med [online]. 2016, vol.24, n.2, pp.58-65. ISSN 0121-5256.  https://doi.org/10.18359/rmed.2641.

Introduction: During University life students should strengthen healthy food habits which will contribute to the well-being of the professional adult life. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status and the food preferences of a group of undergraduate university students. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was realized. It included students who accepted to participate and completed a single, self-administered food habits questionnaire that asked about their current food practices at the university, general characteristics, anthropometric data, and food organoleptic properties. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 20. Results: One hundred eighty one students aged 16 - 25 completed the questionnaire. The 83,6% had normal BMI, 7,9% undernourishment, 7,3% overweight and 1,1% obesity. No association between the people with whom the student lives and nutritional status was found (p=0,991). The 17,6% took energy drinks and 41.5% sodas at least once per week. The 37,5% showed to choose junk food at least once per week. Daily intake of dairy foods, fruits and vegetables was observed in less of 20% of the students. Conclusions: The findings show the importance of establishing early interventions for reaching healthy habits of feeding. These initiatives could be more successful if they include the familiar and social environment and educational institutions.

Keywords : Nutritional Status; Food consumption; Students; Food quality.

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